I was most appreciative of Rev Smith’s sermon this morning. It is a big job to try and educate the wider Presbyterian church on the many diverse international issues that arise and how we might corporately understand and respond. I am thankful that we have someone of his calibre on the team who is able to take from these complexities a simple articulation of what can be grasped and applied to almost any situation of want, need, conflict, inequity, violence,greed or injustice…in the question he shared with us to ask ourselves:

Does this look reflective of the Kingdom of God?

If we ask ourselves that, not only in these large world wide crises but in all the situations in which we find ourselves in our day to day lives, we have a solid framework from which to work out our answer and response. How is the Kingdom reflected in the scriptures? Our ways are not God’s ways.. Whose way does this moment in time reflect? and as a person of faith, knowing that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it…that question alone can, for me, reorient my thinking and direction. It can help me to choose and explore a better path than the one presented. How do I know what is worth responding to, fighting for, investing in, caring for?… I can ask myself: Is it reflective of the Kingdom of God? Does it honour Him? Does it feed the hungry and clothe the naked, cure the lame and lead us in the paths of righteousness for HIS name sake? does it forgive our enemies? Does it reflect the life Jesus portrayed as being reflective of God’s Kingdom on earth. Not easy. But if as they say, our actions and reactions arise first from our thoughts, then what better thought to have in the fore than this question at every turn in our road… Does this reflect the Kingdom of God?and if not, how then, should I be responding?

Diana B